Tragedy on Benue-Taraba Border: Gunmen Slaughter Three Tiv Women Near Anyiin
Tension Rises in Benue as Gunmen Kill Three Tiv Women Returning from Market
Three Tiv women were gruesomely murdered by suspected Jukun militia in a fresh outbreak of violence near Tse Ijim, close to Anyiin in Ukember Agya, Gaambetiev district of Logo Local Government Area, Benue State.
According to eyewitness reports, the women, who were returning from the market along the Anyiin-Wukari road on the Benue side of the boundary, were ambushed and killed in cold blood around 4 p.m. on Monday.
An eyewitness, Teryila Abuur, told The Nation that the attackers struck without warning, waylaying the women and slaughtering them at close range. “It was a targeted ambush. These women were unarmed and harmless,” Abuur said.
The affected area, Logo LGA, borders Wukari LGA in Taraba State—an axis that has suffered over 30 years of recurring communal tensions between the Tiv and Jukun ethnic groups. Local leaders fear this latest attack could trigger yet another cycle of deadly reprisals.
Community leader Chief Iorbee Fate confirmed that widespread panic has gripped Gaambetiev and other farming communities in the area, with residents fearful of renewed violence.
The tragic incident adds to the long list of ethnic-related killings along the Benue-Taraba boundary. Locals say efforts at peacebuilding have yielded limited results, leaving communities vulnerable to flare-ups that often claim innocent lives.
The bodies of the three women have been deposited at the Anyiin Health Centre. As of the time of reporting, the Police Area Command stated they had not yet received a formal report on the incident.
With tensions rising once again, community members are calling on the Benue and Taraba State governments—as well as federal security agencies—to act swiftly to prevent further escalation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
